Highlights of foreign congratulatory messages on Xi's election as Chinese president

BEIJING - Congratulations are pouring in from around the world after Xi Jinping was elected Chinese president by a unanimous vote on Saturday morning at the ongoing session of the 13th National People's Congress.

Xi, 64, was also unanimously elected chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC).

In their congratulatory messages, leaders of foreign countries, political parties and organizations expressed confidence that under Xi's leadership, China will achieve greater prosperity and make more contributions to world peace and development.

The following is an edited version of some of the messages.

Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un said he wishes that under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) with Xi at the core, the Chinese people will make greater achievements in the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

He said he believes that DPRK-China relations will develop toward the direction that conforms to the common interests of the two peoples.

Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang said he believes that Xi, as the core of the CPC Central Committee, president of China and chairman of the CMC, will lead the Chinese people to realize the goal of building a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful.

He said he also believes that China will make important contributions to the peace, stability and prosperity of the region and the world at large.

The Vietnamese party, state and people attach great importance to the development of good-neighborly friendship and comprehensive cooperation with China, and regard it as the strategic choice and top priority of Vietnam's foreign policy, he added.

Lao President Bounnhang Vorachit said he believes that under the leadership of the CPC with Xi at the core, the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics will make comprehensive and historic achievements.

Bounnhang said China will definitely realize the goal of building a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful.

Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain said Xi's election as Chinese president reflects the Chinese people's full confidence in his leadership.

Hussain said China has made remarkable achievements in the past five years, which has not only enhanced China's international status and image, but also brought great changes in people's lives.

Hussain added that he believes the great Chinese nation will continue to move forward and achieve the goal of national rejuvenation.

Pakistan and China are all-weather strategic partners, and the two countries will continue to commit themselves to comprehensively strengthening bilateral relations and benefiting the two peoples, Hussain added.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said he wishes that under Xi's leadership, China realizes the Chinese dream as soon as possible and makes greater contribution to peace and development in Northeast Asia and the world at large.

With this year marking the 10th anniversary of the establishment of South Korea-China strategic cooperative partnership, Moon said he would like to make efforts with Xi to steer bilateral relations toward maturity and into a new era.

Japanese Emperor Akihito wished Xi good health and China prosperity.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said this year marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Japan and the People's Republic of China, as well as the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up policy.

During the past 40 years, China has made remarkable progress, and the two countries have developed extensive cooperation, Abe said.

He hoped to take this year as an opportunity to improve the Japan-China relationship, taking it to a new level of development.

Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen said Xi's election is a full recognition of the great achievements China has made under Xi's leadership in the past five years, and reflects the people's firm confidence in him to lead China in realizing the Two Centenary Goals and the Chinese dream.

The Two Centenary Goals are to finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects by the time the Communist Party of China marks its centenary in 2021, and to build China into a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious by the time the People's Republic of China celebrates its centenary in 2049.

Yameen said he is confident that under Xi's leadership, China will make greater achievements and create more opportunities for other countries in the world to achieve common development.

Bangladeshi President Abdul Hamid said under Xi's leadership, China has made huge achievements in the great cause of building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Hamid said he believes that Bangladesh-China relations will be consolidated and deepened.

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said under Xi's wise and far-sighted leadership, China has made remarkable achievements.

Hasina said Bangladesh expects to enhance cooperation in various fields with China.

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said Xi's election fully reflects the Chinese people's high affirmation of his huge contribution to safeguarding China's interests.

Nazarbayev also said he believes that under Xi's leadership China will definitely keep making new greater achievements in the process of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and that the Kazakhstan-China comprehensive strategic partnership will continue to maintain high level development with concerted efforts from both sides.

Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko said that under Xi's leadership and with the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the Chinese people are unswervingly forging ahead toward the goal of realizing the Chinese dream of great national rejuvenation.

Lukashenko also expressed his wishes that the Chinese people will enjoy lasting peace and prosperity, and that Belarus-China friendship will keep moving forward.

Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili said Xi's wise leadership will bring the Chinese nation greater development and create more wellbeing for the Chinese nation.

Margvelashvili added that he believes Georgia-China traditional friendship and cooperation will definitely be further deepened.

Cameroonian President Paul Biya said he wishes Xi a full success in performing his duty as the Chinese president, and expressed his willingness to work with Xi in strengthening the existing special friendly cooperative relations between the two countries.

Namibian President Hage Geingob said that under Xi's leadership, China has witnessed rapid economic and social development and has made remarkable achievements in national construction.

Geingob said China has already embarked upon a course of building a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said that Xi's election as Chinese president has fully shown that the Chinese people have full trust and confidence in the far-sightedness and wisdom that Xi has demonstrated in handling national and international affairs, believing the upcoming Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit in Beijing in September will surely be a success and will boost Africa-China partnership to a higher level.

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa said that Xi, as a leader with integrity and courage to assume responsibilities, has won the wholehearted support of the Chinese people, who have expressed their confidence with action. He believes that China would be more prosperous under Xi's leadership.

Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita said that the election of Xi as Chinese president by the NPC was a full affirmation of Xi's talent in national governance and administration and his noble virtue of serving the people.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that Xi's successful election as president has shown that both the Chinese People and the Communist Party of China have full confidence in Xi's wise leadership and grand plans for the future.

Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen said that China has scored unimaginable great achievements since the adoption of the policy of reform and opening-up (in 1978) and no other country can realize so outstanding development in such a short period of time. He hopes that China would keep forging ahead on the great path of success under Xi's leadership.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic spoke highly of Xi's election as Chinese president, and firmly believed that, under Xi's leadership, the Chinese people will definitely realize the Chinese dream of great national rejuvenation.

He also said that China's rejuvenation will surely help maintain world peace and stability and benefit peoples of all countries.

Antigua and Barbuda's Governor-General Rodney Williams said that Xi is a leader with both charisma and outstanding talent, wishing China greater development under Xi's leadership.

Rashid Alimov, secretary-general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), said that China today plays a more and more important role on the world stage, and the Belt and Road Initiative and the notion of building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind both proposed by Xi have been positively received by the international community.

Alimov believed that the SCO summit slated for June in east China's Qingdao city would definitely generate abundant results.